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How to Install Android N Developer Preview on your Nexus Device

GadgetByte

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March 10, 2016

How to Install Android N Developer Preview on your Nexus Device

Android has come a long way ever since they started their journey back in 2009. The introduction of material design on Android 5.0 Lollipop revolutionized the android ecosystem and now we have the latest version on Android lineup; Android N which has featured a huge design overhaul.

Most of the new versions of android are showcased on Google I/O every year but this year, Google released the developer preview of Android N before Google I/O 2016. Android N is out there in the wild but we still don’t know what N stands for, but the rumors suggest it will probably be named after an Indian dessert.

Devices supporting Developers Preview are:

Nexus Player
Nexus 9
Pixel C
Nexus 6
Nexus 5x
Nexus 6p

Sadly no support for Nexus 5 which has the largest user base on Nexus Lineup.

Features:

A lot of new and refreshing features has been added to Android N, multi-window support being the most highlighted feature, also, we can see changes on settings menu, new quick settings panel, hamburger menu on settings, improved doze feature, and options like quick reply from notifications, bundled notifications and a lot of software improvement resulting in better performance and battery.

How to install Android N Developer preview:

Note that: This is a Developer Preview distributed by Google which is purely intended for developers to test and report bugs; so you might face some glitches here and there. All your data will be lost, so make sure to keep a backup of your files. Also, you should have some knowledge about ADB and flashboot.

Download the factory image for your device here.
Unzip the file and save it somewhere easy to access.
Turn ON USB Debugging on Developers Option.
Connect your device to the computer.
Open an ADB command line.
Enter adb reboot bootloader to access your device’s bootloader.
Navigate to the folder containing your factory image.
Enter flash-all to run the installation script

It will take some time to boot your device and you’re ready to use the Android N Preview. If this method is too much hassle for you; you can join the OTA update program. It is preferred, you use your Nexus device.

1. Visit the site here.

2. Sign in with your Google Account.

3. Under Your Eligible Devices, select Enroll Device.

4. Join Beta testing.

5. System update will be provided to your device via OTA, check for update navigating to Settings > About > System updates.

Nepal government to start ‘mobile phone tracking’; Lost Phones can be recovered

Featured

Yural Maskey

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March 10, 2016

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Nepal government to start ‘mobile phone tracking’; Lost Phones can be recovered

Ministry of Finance is about to start a ‘mobile phone tracking’ system which will encourage the legal trade of mobile phones and there will be a significant increase in its revenue. This attempt aims to stop the illegal trade of mobile phones especially buying and selling the mobile phones that have been stolen. Moreover, the network provider such as NTC and Ncell will have the ability to block calls and internet services if the phone is registered as “Stolen“

Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Information and Communication Technology has collaborated to start a mobile phone tracking system. Mobile phones will be tracked through their IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number which is different for different mobile phones.

Nepal telecom is said to start this system from the upcoming Baisakh 1. Ncell and UTL are said to start this system immediately as they have the required equipment for the mobile phone tracking but since Nepal telecom doesn’t have the equipment it will start this system within 6 months.

This is actually a great initiative from the government since the lost mobile phone can now be recovered from this system and the illegal trade of mobile phones will be hopefully stopped. Customers will surely benefit from this system as they will get the genuine mobile phone since the legal trade of mobile phones will be encouraged by this system.

How to Track Your Lost or Stolen Android Phone

First and foremost thing after buying a smartphone is to write down the IMEI number of your phone. Every smartphone has a unique IMEI number (International Mobile Equipment Identity Number). A dual SIM phone will have 2 IMEI number. It will also be printed on the back of your device’s packaging. If you are unable to find the number, you just have to launch your phone dialer and dial the number *#06#. This will give you the IMEI number of your phone. Store this number in a safe place so that it helps you in locating your phone when it is lost. Another way of finding an IMEI number is by logging into google dashboard account.

If your phone gets lost, you can file a Police complaint by visiting the Regional Police Unit Office (Hanuman Dhoka, Teku for Kathmandu Valley users). You have to provide IMEI number of your phone while filing a police complaint upon which your phone will be registered as “Stolen“. Your service provider (NTC/NCell/UTL) uses your IMEI number to track your phone. Also, make sure that you block the SIM card that was being used in the handset. This will force the thief to replace the SIM, which will help find his/her identity.

Samsung Galaxy S7, S7 Edge Launched in Nepal

Yural Maskey

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March 9, 2016

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Samsung Galaxy S7, S7 Edge Launched in Nepal

Samsung Electronics Nepal has officially launched the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge in Nepal. The Galaxy S7 is priced at Rs.77,900 and the Galaxy S7 Edge is priced at Rs.88,900 — both prices for the 32GB variant. You can pre-book the phone starting today, and every pre-bookers will get a genuine leather bag worth Rs.20,000 or you can grab the Gear VR worth Rs.13,900, Choice is yours.

Besides the pre-booking offer, Samsung has also come up with a limited edition pack that’s available for limited period. Limited edition pack includes Galaxy S7 Edge, Gear S2 Classic, leather bag and Level U at a price of Rs.1,22,000. For Galaxy S7 limited edition pack, the price is Rs.1,08,000. The handsets will go on regular sale from mid-March this month.

Hands on Review of the Galaxy S7, S7 Edge in Nepal

The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge looks much similar to last year’s Galaxy S6, featuring a metal frame and gorilla glass 4 on the front and back. The 5.1-inch Galaxy S7 and 5.5-inch Galaxy S7 Edge features a Quad HD 2,560×1,440 AMOLED display.

Both the phones offers microSD expansion slot and is IP68 water and dust resistant — features that were removed on last year’s Galaxy S6. Samsung made a great decision by not trying to make the phone thinner. In fact, both the S7 and S7 edge are a tad thicker than its predecessor meaning the S7 can fit in a bigger 3000mAh battery and S7 Edge featuring a 3600mAh battery. With Android marshmallow battery optimization features, AMOLED display and a more efficient CPU, we anticipate they are going to have great battery life.

Taking about the hardware specs, we can finally confirm that Samsung has decided to ship the Exynos Octacore 8890 CPU here in Nepal. We would have loved the Snapdragon 820 variant since it scores marginally higher than the Exynos variant in the benchmark test. Having said that, both these processors are really fast. Coupled with 4GB of LP DDR4 RAM, we are talking about insane multitasking as well. Both these phones support quick charging as well as wireless charging.

With the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge’s latest slimmer 12-megapixel camera, Samsung claims to have the best camera smartphone in the market. Even though Galaxy S7’s camera has fewer megapixels than its predecessor Galaxy S6, the smartphone possesses one of the fastest autofocus and has better low light photography. It uses larger 1.4um pixels and a lens with an f-stop of 1.7 to let 25% more light into the sensor, as well as a very fast autofocus system, to help prevent grainy or blurred photos. The camera is a Wide angle lens with capabilities of motion panorama and live video streaming on the go. The front camera is a 5-megapixels and the lens is a f/1.7 with a wide angle.

Key Highlights|Samsung Galaxy S7/S7 Edge:

Android 6.0 Marshmallow
5.1-inch Super AMOLED screen with 2,560 x 1,440 Pixel Resolution; 5.5-inch on the Edge variant
32 of inbuilt storage, Micro SD card slot expandable up to 200GB
12 Megapixel Camera with f/1.7 aperture and smart OIS
5 Megapixel Front Shooter with f/1.7 aperture
Dust and Water-Resistant (IP68 rating)
3,000 mAh and 3,600mAh battery Respectively on Galaxy S7 and S7 edge
Fast charging on b0th wired and wireless
Samsung Exynos 8890 SoC
Octacore (2.3GHz quad+ 1.6GHz quad); Quadcore (2.3GHz Dual + 1.6GHz Dual)
4GB LPDDR4 RAM
Colors: Black onyx, Gold Platinum, Silver Titanium

Nepal Telecom Network allegedly hacked by Anonymous ‪opnep

Telecom

Yural Maskey

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March 8, 2016

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Nepal Telecom Network allegedly hacked by Anonymous ‪opnep

A group of Nepalese hacker named Anonymous opnep has claimed to have breached into the server of Nepal Telecom, the biggest telecommunication service provider in Nepal. Hackers have gained access to all the details of NTC users that include username, citizenship name, father’s name as well as other private information which you have to fill up during new SIM registration. A statement by Anonymous on their facebook page reads as:

“Dear @Nepal telecom, We are anonymous #opnep. As the inner corruption is getting bigger, Where 1mb or fewer megas are transferred to the clients through Adsl, broadband instead of 5-6 MB. We are watching you, we were watching you and we will WATCH YOU. We are not going to take down NTC server which will cost Millions of rupees to Nepali government, but we are taking control of everything. Private message us your number and we will find your detail and provide you your details which are registered in NTC server.”

The hackers also posted a message that said “Our plan is not to hurt Nepali Citizen which can create trouble in future, We hate Government, not Citizen” meaning they are pissed off with Nepal Telecom’s poor internet connection service. As expected, no one from Nepal Telecom has not said anything regarding an alleged breach of their database server.

Gadgetbyte will contact Nepal Telecom for comment and will update this report when we learn more.

Virus Total: Online Security Tool by Google

Android
Apps

GadgetByte

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March 8, 2016

0

Virtual Security has been a very crucial topic in recent years. Every now and then we hear news about different hacks and leaks making the headlines, and new vulnerabilities are discovered every day to exploit our privacy via different means. We can’t even imagine how many ways there are to make us vulnerable digitally, malware attacks being the number one approach. Security might seem like an illusion nowadays but there are few ways and tools that can still provide security to some extent. This is where Virus Total comes in as a promising tool.

Virus Total is a security website subsidiary of Google, where you can scan files (upto 128MB), links and even BIOS or UEFI firmware. It is a very effective tool since it aggregates 55 antivirus programs and 61 online security scan engines.

Virus Total has a very simple UI, more like a google search page which is extremely easy to use. You can directly upload files and paste link on the search bar and it’ll show you if the file or link has any malwares, viruses, worms, Trojans and other malicious contents that might make you vulnerable.

BIOS malware has been a controversial topic ever since Snowden blown the whistle on NSA for making BIOS malware for spying. BIOS is the bridge between software and hardware if your BIOS is infected there is a very low chance that you’ll ever be secure, even if you format your whole system the malware won’t be neutralized since it resides on the chip of the motherboard. Considering this Virus Total has dedicated tools to scan your BIOS or UEFI for malware. Furthermore, you can dump your BIOS and send it to Virus Total for extensive study.

In today’s world “Privacy-like eating and breathing-is one of the life’s basic requirement.” Virus Total can be one of many great tools to keep yourself safe online and offline by scanning the URL first before entering any unknown sites or by scanning some files that could be malicious and even letting it scan your BIOS firmware.

HTC 10 Leaks, Specs, Launch Date

HTC

Yural Maskey

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March 8, 2016

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HTC is going to launch their flagship top of the line smartphone very soon, and as usual, there has been a number of leaks and rendered images from various source. It’s a do or die situation for HTC since the competition in the smartphone business is unreal. However, recent rumors and leaked images provide us with a hint that it’s going to be riveting.

With LG G5 and Samsung Galaxy S7 already being launched at MWC, we expect HTC to launch the successor of HTC one M9, the HTC one M10 or HTC 10, as early as the first week of April. To begin with, Evan Blass reveals the phone images for the first time.

Apart from the leaked image, Onleaks revealed the prototype specs for the HTC 10 which goes as:

5.15-inch QHD AMOLED Display
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 820 SoC
Adreno 530 graphic
4GB of LPDDR4 RAM
32GB internal storage with microSD expansion slot
12 MP Ultrapixel camera with laser-assisted autofocus
Front facing camera with Optical Image Stabilization
No Dual Front firing Speakers since there is a home button with Fingerprint sensor
USB Type-C port
Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow with HTC sense 8.0 UI

In the past years, HTC’s camera has not been their greatest strength, but the Taiwan-based company says that the phone will have a very, very compelling camera experience. The company has also started teasing with a video lately with a tagline ” Power of 10″

If rumors are correct, we are going to see a great android smartphone in HTC 10, and we expect the company to regain their lost market share.

5 REASONS TO WHY SHOULD GIRLS BE A GEEK

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GadgetByte

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March 8, 2016

0

So, the main topic today! Why are girls not (generally) geek!??

It’s a tough question which will have different answers based on different opinions. But today I’ll tell you why girls should be GEEKS! So, girls, be ready for this geeky ride! To start things up, as a warm-up, do watch this video:

1. WE ALL ADMIT, GIRLS ADD BEAUTY!

While being geek and focused all the way to the gadget and tech environment, we guys tend to overlook the simple phenomenon that the world stands on “beauty”. Yes, If there were girl-geeks they would create and add “vibrant beauty” to the more or less non-beautified platform. With changes in the designs

2. BEAUTY WITH BRAINS IS NOT THAT BAD ANYWAY!

It won’t kill girls to know a little bit more about technology and gadgets. Since girls tend to have a desire for fashion and trend, it will be a perfect match since gadgets are trendy, changing &, in fact, a fashion statement these days! Since you already carry some sort of gadgets with you, knowing about them would make a perfect sense.

Photo Credits: Colors Mobile Nepal Instagram

3. YOU CAN FIX THINGS, YOURSELF!

Remember the last time you asked somebody else, your boyfriend, brother or anybody to fix things and saw their sick, tired faces? Well, that will be gone with you knowing things all by yourself! You won’t have to call him to tell that your laptop needs formatting. You don’t have to ask him every time how to fix your smartphone. You don’t have to even waste your money calling on somebody to fix petty things for you, that will help you buy a new tee, right! And what more, you could even fix your guys’ gadget and wear that bossy look!

4. EVERYTHING IS JUST A GOOGLE AWAY!

Now, the main thing is where to start, or how long will it take for you to “evolve” to a geek! Relax geeks are not aliens and they don’t actually know everything. They just track shit that matters to them! You can too! Choose which way you wanna go!

geek-girls — Photo Credits: Colors Mobile Nepal Instagram

Start with Google. Search for something: Latest smartphones, Latest tech, or even “How to be a geek”! Start playing your brother’s video game. Kill some villains in Counterstrike or score a few goals at FIFA to start! I am sure that’s gonna help! (and of course, if you need any assistance, Gadgetbyte is always there 🙂

5. BECAUSE THERE ARE FEW:

Of Course, I agree to put this at last because, agree to disagree, there are not many girls into tech which makes me sad. Come on, girls, why not! Also, if you start right off you always have that initial advantage. And since many girls abroad have already begun taking interest in the tech, it’s a high-time that girls in Nepal start in this field!

MY POINT

You won’t have to wear those dorky glasses or be ugly to be a geek, you just have to explore a little more. I guess it is completely possible, right!? With a little push and interest, i think I will see many girls showing their interest towards the tech environment!

And after all, GEEK IS BEAUTIFUL!

*Thanks Bishwash for the article.

Sleep Shepherd Blue: Sleep tracker that helps you to sleep

GadgetByte

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March 7, 2016

0

Sleep Shepherd Blue: Sleep tracker that helps you to sleep

Numerous studies and research have suggested that enough sleep is necessary for human body to function properly. Adequate sleep not only leaves you feeling relaxed but it also has a positive impact on heart, brain, weight and more. It actually helps to improve the memory and is involved in repair of heart and blood vessels. Sleep deficiency causes various diseases like kidney disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and stroke. Sleep Shepherd blue is a headband which promises to make sure that you get adequate sleep and thus maintain a healthy life.

Sleep Shepherd blue claims to be the first sleep tracker that helps you to sleep. It monitors the brain wave activity with the integrated EEG sensors and tracks motion and head orientation using 3 axis accelerometer. It uses biofeedback and binaural beats to help you fall asleep naturally. It also functions as an alarm clock to gradually wake you up using binaural beats, unlike the conventional alarm clocks. The band connects wirelessly to Smartphone app to give quality sleep score.

It’s an interesting and remarkable gadget for those who face difficulty in sleeping at night. It’s available through Kickstarter. Prices start from 199$ during the time of writing.

Samsung Galaxy S7 to launch in Nepal on 9th March

Yural Maskey

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March 7, 2016

0

Samsung Galaxy S7 to launch in Nepal on 9th March

Samsung Mobile Nepal has confirmed that they will launch Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge in Nepal on 9th of March. The event is set to take place at Hyatt Regency Ballroom here in Kathmandu, and the invite reads as, ” Experience the unrivalled, top of the world features of a phone, and to rethink what a phone can do”

To recall, Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge were recently launched at the Mobile World Congress and offers a decent upgrade over its predecessor. Both these phones comes with a metal frame and a gorilla glass 4 front and back, has quad HD 2,560×1,440 Pixel display, and sports 4GB of RAM.

The 5.1-inch Galaxy S7 and 5.5-inch Galaxy S7 edge offers microSD expansion slot and is IP68 water and dust resistant — both these features that were removed on last year’s Galaxy S6. The Galaxy S7 comes with a huge battery of 3000mAh, substantially bigger than 2550mAh of last year’s Galaxy S6. The Galaxy S7 Edge has a 3600mAh battery to power its bigger 5.5-inch display. Both these phones support quick charging as well as wireless charging.

With the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge’s latest slimmer 12-megapixel camera, Samsung claims to have the best camera smartphone in the market. Even though Galaxy S7’s camera has fewer megapixels than its predecessor Galaxy S6, the smartphone possesses one of the fastest autofocus and has better low light photography. It uses larger 1.4um pixels and a lens with an f-stop of 1.7 to let 25% more light into the sensor, as well as a very fast autofocus system, to help prevent grainy or blurred photos.The camera is a Wide angle lens with capabilities of motion panorama and live video streaming on the go. The front camera is a 5-megapixels and the lens is a f/1.7 with a wide angle.

This year’s Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge ships with 2 variants, one is an in-house Exynos Octacore 8890 SoC and the second a Snapdragon Quadcore 820 SoC. Rumors suggest that we will see the Octacore version here in Nepal. The Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are up for pre-orders in the US for $670 and $780 respectively, and we expect Samsung mobile Nepal to price it very competitively.

Hands-on with Galaxy S7

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Purple Atom is a phone for everyone, and it costs you just Rs.1,195

Featured

Yural Maskey

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March 6, 2016

0

Purple Atom is a phone for everyone, and it costs you just Rs.1,195

While smartphones might be dominating the market with its flamboyant high-resolution screen, and super fast processing, but there has always been an issue with its battery life that lasts for less than a day.

And for those that find texts and calls to be the most important thing in a phone, there is a solution: the Rs.1,195 Purple Atom. It is a simple, robust old-fashioned device that has a standby battery life of 15 days. Despite its limitations compared to smartphones, it is perfectly suited for texts and calls or as a secondary phone for just about anyone who uses 2 SIM cards.

Moreover, many smartphone users are now turning to basic phones since it has great battery life, durable, easy to use, and you would care less if stolen or broken. It is estimated that around 44 million basic phones were sold last year. I, for one, recently bought a Purple Atom phone for my grandparents, and it works perfectly fine for them. They have to charge the phone in a week, and they don’t use 3G data on their phone.

Key Specs of Purple Atom 003:

1.8″ QQVGA Display
Digital Camera
Dual Sim Dual Standby
1000 mAh Battery
Wireless FM Radio
Expandable Memory upto 8 GB,
3.5mm Audio Jack
GPRS
Bluetooth with A2DP
Led Torch Light
Data Backup 3GP/MP4 Video Playback & Recording
Hindi/English Language